


A Stardew Story: Spring, Year 1

by TheMerryPanda



Series: A Stardew Story [1]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Diary/Journal, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2020-12-17 17:23:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 18,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21058163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMerryPanda/pseuds/TheMerryPanda
Summary: Just another take on a generic farmer’s first season in Pelican Town.Each chapter represents a day in farmer Taylor’s life.Season Highlights: Moving in (Ch 2), Meet the town (Ch 3), Egg Festival (Ch 15), and Flower Dance (Ch 26).Heart Events: Linus (Ch 11), Haley (Ch 19), Shane (Ch 23), Harvey (Ch 25), Leah (Ch 27), and Sam (Ch 30).





	1. Step One - Leaving Joja Co.

**Thursday, Winter 25, the Year before the Farm:**

My name is Taylor. I’m 24 years old, and today I finally decided to quit working for Joja Corporation.

Stupid Joja made me come in for work on a holiday again. Again, I couldn’t quite afford to visit my family for the Day of the Winter Star, and when my boss heard, he insisted on scheduling me for work.

It’s been two years since I graduated from Zuzu University, and the only job I had to show for it was this desk job, and I was sick and tired of it.

There I was, elbows on the desk, and head in my hands, frustrated yet again with work, and it was only 10 AM. Deeply I sighed, then stretched my arms. My hand hit against the handle of one of my drawers, causing it to open slightly. This drawer was nearly empty; I had forgotten about it.

Curious, I opened the drawer further and recognized a thinning envelope with a purple seal. It was a gift from my grandpa, who died several years ago, back before I entered junior high.

It was a cold, late spring night when my parents and I visited him for the last time. We had spent the afternoon getting me out of school, and my parents getting out of work early to make the long trip to his home on a farm in the middle of nowhere. He requested that he is to be in his rickety bed at his humble home on his farm when he passed away, and the local doctor at the time fulfilled this dying wish, making sure to visit frequently to tend to him as the days went by and summon my family to him when his days grew shorter. As my father is Grandpa’s only child, he and my mother received all of his assets, all except one.

“…and for my very special grandchild:” he muttered, voice weakening with every minute, “I want you to have this sealed envelope.”

From a pocket in his green sleepwear, he pulled out the very envelope that I carried with me since, occasionally forgetting about it for a couple years before uncovering it from its hiding place like I did today. I remembered briefly thinking that the purple seal was old-fashioned and over-the-top, paisley-swirl-like initials P.T. imprinted on the seal. I didn’t dwell on this thought for long, as Grandpa began to cough violently in a way that still makes me ache with sympathetic pain. I waited for him to finish the coughing fit and sip at some water before attempting to open the envelope.

“No, no, don’t open it yet… have patience.” Grandpa protested gently. I nodded, afraid to speak, then placed the envelope in my bag. Grandpa reached out. I let him take my hand and stepped closer to him to hear him speak.

“Now, Taylor, listen close: There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life, and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my dear, you will be ready for this gift.”

I spoke only long enough to promise him that I would remember him and do as he wished regarding the envelope. Content with my promise, Grandpa smiled weakly.

“Thank you, my dear. Now, let Grandpa rest…”

Mom escorted me out of the home and we journeyed to the nearest hotel to room for the night. I remember expressing that I didn’t want Grandpa to go. She assured me that he would go to be with his wife, my Grandma, who had died before I was born. I wanted to be selfish, but I soon realized it would only make Grandpa’s passing feel worse. I settled for consoling myself with the knowledge that at least Grandpa wouldn’t be alone.

Dad joined us late in the night, around 2 AM. I was asleep for some time, but woke to the sound of the room door opening. I laid in my little bed pretending to be asleep when he told my mom Grandpa officially passed away. That night was the first time I cried myself to sleep, and I did so quietly as to not disturb them.

The next day I learned Mom audio recorded our last night with Grandpa. Occasionally I would relisten to it, especially on the days where I missed him the most.

I was grateful to have found the envelope again. I decided that today, Grandpa would think I was finally ready for whatever message he had in this envelope. I justified not opening it in high school after a heartbreak, as I saw a light at the end of that tunnel in the form of high school graduation and college. I again justified not opening it in college, as I knew that a couple years later, I would be graduated with a STEM degree and hopefully have a decent job lined up. Today, I couldn’t justify waiting any longer. There was no immediate out of his depressing Joja job, and I could feel my usual cheery disposition dwindling.

After looking up to make sure my supervisor wasn’t nearby, I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper. The first was a letter from Grandpa.

_ Dear Taylor, _

_ If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change. _

_ The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong. _

_ I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: the Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life. _

_ This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck. _

_ ~ Love, Grandpa _

I shed a tear as I read his familiar handwriting and imagined him speaking to me. I sacrificed so much when I came to work at Joja Co., and it never paid off. I was rarely able to visit my parents, let alone friends, since it was so difficult to save money, and due to distance and communication errors, some of those very friends gave up on me. As much as I tried to deny it, I was very alone, and no one cared, especially here in Joja Co.

I stared at the second piece of paper, the deed to the farm. My family had wondered where this deed had disappeared to, and finally it has been found, and given to me.

To become a farmer… the thought had never crossed my mind before in seriousness. Digging and harvesting and all that didn’t appeal to me; that’s why I chose to go to college so I could live an easier life. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it in Joja Co. Now I’m thinking I’d be better off doing that menial back-breaking work on a farm I loved visiting as a kid, rather than “gaining job experience” here.

“Taylor, back to work.” My supervisor walked by and sharply berated me. I looked at the envelope one more time, then realized what I needed to do. I grabbed my few belongings, logged off the computer for the last time, and left my cubicle.

“Taylor, where are you going? It’s not your lunch break.”

“I’m going home, sir. It’s the Day of the Winter Star.”

“You’ll lose your job if you do.”

“I don’t care. I quit.”

Without another word, I exited the building. I walked the couple blocks to my tiny prison cell of a 300-square-foot studio apartment. I climbed the usual four flights of stairs up the apartment building, and tried in vain to avoid the attention of my landlord, Mr. Steve Baskin, who was sure to try to pin me down for rent money. He lived in Room 502 next to the top of the staircase and across from my Room 501.

I had counted on him being occupied in his larger apartment with his early-teenage twin daughters Elya and Gina and perhaps some of his brothers or friends for a Winter Star Feast, but I forgot that I left Joja Co. much earlier than my usual 5 PM. Instead, he was snacking on an orange at the top of the stairwell, surprised to see me so soon. His large rodent-like ears were unmistakable, and his cat-like eyes widened when he spotted me.

“Taylor! Bringing in next season’s rent money so soon? T’would make an excellent Winter Star present, you know?”

I shook my head. “I won’t be here next season.” I told him. “I’m moving out.”

“Moving out too late to cancel rent. I needed a three-week notice if you didn’t want to pay for the next one, Taylor.”

“I know, Mr. Baskin. I’m sorry. It was a sudden decision.”

“Where will you go?”

“Stardew Valley.”

Mr. Baskin paused. “How soon will you be completely moved out?”

“Spring.” I replied without a second thought. “As soon as possible.”

My landlord nodded and ate his last orange slice as he pondered to himself. Finally, he said: “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. Get everything out of the cleaned apartment by tomorrow evening, and I won’t charge you for next month.”

I didn’t believe it at first. Then when he smiled and said, “Happy Day of the Winter Star”, I grinned brightly. What a relief! I had planned on spending the day packing then moving my few belongings to my parents’ house in the suburbs (and celebrating a late Feast), but now I could afford another round trip and possibly a one-way to the valley with the extra money. I would have shaken hands with him, but his hands were holding onto orange peels.

“Thank you, Mr. Baskin. Happy Day to you too.”

I went into my apartment. Thankfully, it was easy to compile everything I owned into one section of the tiny apartment. I took a suitcase’s worth of items onto a bus to my parents’ house, and planned to come back for the remainder and cleaning tomorrow.

I got home just in time for the family Feast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taylor, by my default, is a female character, but I gave her a unisex name and written most of these journal entries in a way so that most of the time, Taylor can also be portrayed as a male character.


	2. Return to the Valley

**Sunday, Winter 28, the Year before the Farm:**

My parents were elated to see me come home, and pleasantly surprised when I told them I was given the deed to the Farm. They seemed a little skeptical of my decision to go, but were at least supportive of it. We decided that I would give it a try for a season, and then go from there. For the gift exchange a few days ago, they gave me Grandpa’s old farming tools and a small size 12 backpack sturdy enough to carry them.

I did manage to move and clean out that old apartment on time. The furniture stayed in the room, and Mr. Baskin’s daughters happily accepted some clothes and other trinkets I no longer wanted as gifts. I spent yesterday repacking the essentials at home so only one trip was needed to bring my things to the Farm.

I waved goodbye to my parents and hopped on the only bus to Pelican Town that day (and one of the earliest at 6 AM) with only my backpack, a couple of suitcases and 500g to my name. I spent the long ride staring out the window and at grandpa’s letter. I noticed some text scrawled on the back of the letter:

_ P.S. If Lewis is still alive say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?_

Heh. He shouldn’t be too hard to find. Pelican Town had a population of maybe thirty people, from what I remembered from my research. While I was cleaning the old apartment two days ago, Mom had called a friend of Grandpa’s so I had someone to help me settle in.

Sure enough, a few hours later, a cheerful red-haired lady was standing at the bus stop when I arrived.

“Hello! You must be Taylor.”

I put down my suitcase to shake her hand. Spring had come a day early here, so it was nice not needing to worry about snow. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’m Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home. He’s there right now, tidying things up for your arrival. The farm’s right over here, if you’ll follow me.”

“Thank you.”

He really wasn’t going to be hard to find then, I thought to myself. Robin directed me to the west and showed me a land overrun with trees, rocks, and other debris.

Robin gestured to that very land. “This is the Farm.” I don’t think she expected me to be as let down as I felt. “What’s the matter?”

“It looks… not like a farm.” Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect; it had been a few years since someone last tended to it, I suppose, but oh boy, it’s going to take forever to clear it up. Learning how to use an axe and these other tools at camps can only take you so far.

“Sure, it’s a bit overgrown, but there’s some good soil underneath that mess! With a little dedication you’ll have it cleaned up in no time.”

I was skeptical of the claim, but I shrugged it off. Robin then led me to Grandpa’s old house.

“…And here we are, your new home.”

Just then, an old man I’d say is in his sixties opened the door. He was pleased to see me, and stepped down the porch steps to meet Robin and I. “Ah, the new farmer! Welcome! I’m Lewis, Mayor of Pelican Town. You know, everyone’s been asking about you. It’s not every day that someone new moves in. It’s quite a big deal!”

My shy self briefly wanted to hide from the town. We all have only known about me coming for like three days tops. I quickly changed my mind when I realized the opportunity I had to restart my life and possibly make friends again.

Lewis patted my shoulder. “So… you’re moving into your grandfather’s old cottage. It’s a good house… very ‘rustic’.”

It was indeed an old house, but it looked cozier than the apartment I used to live in.

“Rustic. That’s one way to put it. ‘Crusty’ might be a little more apt, though.”

“Rude!” Lewis scowled while Robin giggled at her own joke. “Don’t listen to her, Taylor. She’s just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades.”

Robin gasped, then huffed at his remark.

Lewis addressed me again. “Anyway… you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest. Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself. The townspeople would appreciate that.”

Lewis started off towards town, then stopped when he spotted the large box right next to the house. “Oh, I almost forgot. If you have anything to sell, just place it in this box here. I’ll come by during the night to collect it. Well, good luck!”

“Thank you, Lewis!” I called out to him as he left the property. “And thank you, Robin.”

She smiled and shrugged. “My pleasure. You should swing by around 5 PM tomorrow to meet my family.”

I nodded. “Alright, will do. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Robin took off. I unpacked and organized my new little one-room cabin. There were few furnishings: an old television, a rickety twin bed, a table and chair, a fireplace, a rug, and a picture of Grandma and Grandpa in front of a large tree on their wedding day. The tiny bathroom consisted of a toilet, pedestal sink, and ancient clawfoot tub. There was a recent attempt to clean the grime, and it seemed that the shower curtain was simply replaced, because it looked white, clean, and brand-new.

The nostalgic wooden floorboards and yellowed wallpaper were welcoming after the cinderblock walls of my old Zuzu City studio apartment. I feel more at home here than I ever did there. Finally I noticed that the sun had set, so I took Lewis’s advice and retired to bed, after writing in this journal of course.


	3. Meet the Villagers

**Monday, Spring 1 Year 1:**

Since I went to bed earlier than I was used to, I woke up at 6 AM, a decent time of day to begin farming, I decided. I’ll go make that pattern in the future.

Lewis left me with a starter pack of fifteen parsnip seeds, so I spent the morning clearing out enough land to plant and water those seeds, then cleared out more land around my house until I felt too tired to continue, and by then it was only 7:15 AM.

The rest of the day, I spent wandering around town with a map and meeting the people on the list of villagers Lewis gave me. Occasionally I’d find something to forage, but I couldn’t carry much unfortunately. I managed to find nearly everyone. I’m feeling tired tonight, so I’ll just leave the descriptions of each person I met to the minimum.

  * Alex: First guy I found, just outside his house. Standard gridball jock. About my age, maybe a year younger. Friendly enough.
  * Evelyn: Alex’s grandmother. Very sweet. Told me I could call her Granny. I just might if I get to know her better.
  * George: Evelyn’s husband, Alex’s grandfather. Wheelchair bound, and I don’t think he likes it. He wasn’t really interested in talking though. Likes watching television.
  * Gus: Forties or fifties. Owns the Stardrop Saloon, told me I’m welcome to coffee or beer. A jovial fellow.
  * Gunther: Fifties or sixties. Owns the library and museum, all one building. The last curator took all the old artifacts, so there’s no displays unfortunately.
  * Willy: Owns the fishing shop, but he was gone fishing when I tried to enter the shop. The note he left on his shop door saying he would be back tomorrow.
  * Elliott: Late twenties. I thought he was a girl at first, his hair is so dang long and pretty. Talks like he walked out of a Jane Austen novel. An old-fashioned gentleman. He doesn’t strike me as someone who lived in Pelican Town his whole life.
  * Penny: My age, maybe a year younger. Bookworm. She was reading under a tree, so I decided not to bother her much. I was curious about what she liked to read though.
  * Sam: My age. Hair from either the 80s or Dragonball Z. Extraverted and friendly, was on his way to work when I found him. Probably the guy to befriend to make other friends in town. Apparently Joja Co. managed to get one of their markets out here, and he and one other guy in town work there. I wasn’t ready to step in the JojaMart yet though.
  * Haley: Preppy, plastic, I’d pin her at age 21. Would probably topple Regina George’s regime in Mean Girls. Insulted my clothes, which I only chose because of practicality in farming. Yet another basic white girl who loves photography.
  * Marnie: In her fifties? Owns a ranch south of my farm at the edge of the forest. Loves animals.
  * Jas: Seven years old? Super shy, but I don’t blame her. Lives with Marnie, but I’m not sure of their relation.
  * Vincent: Another seven year old? Sam’s little brother. He seemed to think I was okay.
  * Jodi: Vincent and Sam’s mom. Mentioned that I wasn’t what she expected, but never clarified what she meant by that. Very motherly.
  * Caroline: Wife of the shopkeeper, friends with Jodi. Looks forward to additional business from me.
  * Dr. Harvey: Town doctor in his early, maybe mid-thirties. Wished me luck in my work. Seems happy with his line of work.
  * Leah: Mid- to late twenties. Friendly, told me I came in at a good time for spring. Very much a country girl.
  * Abigail: My age. Caroline’s daughter. I don’t think she had wanted me to move in; she apparently liked exploring the overgrown fields.
  * Pierre: Caroline’s wife, presumably Abigail’s dad. Also all about the new business.
  * Emily: Haley’s older sister, early 30s? Very nice and extraverted. A bit of a hippie, probably does yoga. Asked me to stop by at her work at the saloon. I did later that evening.
  * Maru: Age 20. Friends with Penny, and Robin’s daughter. Nerdy, and excited that I moved here.
  * Demetrius: Robin’s husband, and a scientist. I see where Maru got her dark skin tone from. Very proud father of Maru.
  * Sebastian: Quiet goth, a year older than I. Maybe a fraction oriental? Robin’s son, but I think Demetrius is his stepfather. Looks nothing like his sister Maru. A smoker. I think he thinks I’m nuts for moving into such a small town. Maybe he’s right.
  * Linus: Seventies? Still younger than Evelyn and George. Cautious and wary of me. Looks happy to be homeless? I wonder if he knows something mysterious, like old Ben Kenobi.
  * Pam: Penny’s mom, and a regular at the saloon. Has a Northern (Scottish?) accent. Only asks that I’m not a jerk. I noted I should also avoid getting between her and her alcohol.
  * Shane: Mid- to late thirties, another drinker. The other Joja employee, I determined from his jacket. Wasn’t interested in talking, and was rather rude about it. Marnie’s nephew, Gus told me.
  * Clint: Town blacksmith, late thirties, maybe early 40s? I don’t know if he does anything else. I’ll likely see him more often if I get supplies and money needed to upgrade tools.

I think that’s everyone? There was a suspicious-looking tower in the forest that sounded like someone was inside, but no one responded when I knocked. Oh well.


	4. Learning to Fish

**Tuesday, Spring 2 Year 1:**

I got my first letter in the mail.

_ Hello there, _

_ Just got back from a fishing trip. You should come down to the beach some time. _

_ I’ve got something for ya. _

_ ~ Willy_

I watered my parsnips, then made my way down to the beach. I spotted him at the edge of the pier by his fishing shop. I’d pin him in his late forties or early fifties. He wore a thick beard and brown beret and smoked a pipe.

He turned to me when he heard my footsteps on the wooden planks. “Ahoy there!” he waved me over. “Heard there was a newcomer in town… Good to finally meet you. It’s nice to see young folk movin’ into the valley. It’s not very common these days.”

“Thanks. It’s good to meet you too, Willy. Did you have a good fishing trip yesterday?”

He nodded. Just before yesterday, he had gone out on an extended trip. “Ah… I’m still tryin’ to unwind from a month out on the salty seas.”

“Was that successful?”

“Aye. It was a big haul! I sold a lot of good fish. Finally saved enough to buy me a new rod.” He picked up a bamboo rod he had lying down on a bench next to us. “Here, I want you to have my old fishing rod. It’s important to me that the art o’ fishing stays alive. And hey, maybe you’ll buy somethin’ from the shop once in a while.”

Willy placed the rod in my hands. I thanked him. It was nice to now have another method of income available while I waited for my parsnips to grow.

Willy shook his head, accepting my gratitude, then cast his eyes down to the water below us. “There’s good water here in the valley. All kinds o’ fish.” He took out his newer fishing rod, and cast a line into the sea. “Oh, yeah. My shop’s back open now, so come by if you need supplies. I’ll also buy anything you catch. ‘If it smells, it sells’.” Willy chuckled at his own joke. “That’s what my ol’ Pappy used to say, anyway.”

I bade him a good morning, and spent a good chunk of the day practicing out some fishing. I found the time between catching fish rather boring, so perhaps next time I should take my music player and listen to music while I fish. When my energy was spent and I ran out of seaweed to subsist off of, I wandered in the forest foraging again until the evening.


	5. A New Pet

**Wednesday, Spring 3 Year 1:**

Marnie showed up at my front porch early this morning.

“Hello Taylor!” I don’t know how she had the energy to be this cheery so bright and early in the day. “You see this cat here?” I peered down towards her feet and found a thin orange cat, maybe six months old. “I found it sitting outside the entrance to your farm! I think it’s a stray… poor little thing.”

The cat found me and started rubbing at my ankles. I hoped it didn’t have fleas. “I think it likes this place! Hey, um… don’t you think this farm could use a good cat? Will you adopt her?”

“Sure, why not?” I responded quickly. “She could be a good mouser.”

Marnie smiled and leaned down to the little animal. She pet her, and to my relief, no fleas. “What are you going to name her?”

“Hmm…” my first thought was Miso, followed by that’s not a real name. “How about Bella?” Her fur pattern reminded me of the cat of a YouTuber I liked to watch in my downtime.

“What a lovely name!” Marnie turned to the cat. “Well, little Bella, you be a good kitty now, okay?”

Bella the Cat meowed and purred. I found a water bowl, filled it, and left it outside for her. Thankfully, I was right about her being a good mouser. She didn’t have any trouble finding or catching mice. At least I wouldn’t have to worry much about feeding her. Now if I could take care of me with more than the foragables and whatever I fish up, we’d be in good shape. I don’t know how Leah does it, but then again she has a high tolerance (a love I think) for salads and anything like unto it. She likes driftwood too, but I haven’t figured out why. She’s unusual, but sweet.

I ran into Marnie again when I came out of the forest with bundles of daffodils and dandelions and she was on her way to the Stardrop Saloon. I gave her a friendly wave.

“Thanks again for bringing me Bella the Cat! She turned out to be a good mouser.”

“Oh, how good!” She smiled pleasantly until she saw that I came over from the lake. “Have you been to that strange tower west of my house?” she asked.

“Once,” I admitted. “No one answered the door.”

“The man who lives there rarely comes out. One time I heard this terrible, otherworldly noise coming from there. I would avoid that place if I were you…”

Marnie said this warning ominously as she left. I glanced over to the tower once before heading back home for the evening.

From what I noticed, Bella mostly keeps to herself, but occasionally would find her way to me when I was at home or wandering the farm. I was pleasantly surprised that me climbing into bed while she was curled up in a ball on it didn’t persuade her to get away and perch elsewhere. She reminds me of me; usually good by herself, but occasionally enjoys positive attention from others.


	6. A Museum Contribution

**Thursday, Spring 4 Year 1:**

I got my first letter from my parents. Mom sent me a few cookies, and Dad sent me another 500g for more seeds I planned to purchase tomorrow.

Today consisted of more clearing out the farm when I have the energy, and more foraging when I don’t.

When I fish, I’m still subsisting on either the remaining few field snacks I packed when I moved here or seaweed and algae. It’s gross, but it gives me a little more energy. How long does it take for parsnips to grow again? Either way, I’m very grateful for Mom’s cookies today.

Elliott asked if I had ever been in the forest. I considered sarcastically saying no. It seemed like such a silly question to ask, considering that another path (I had to clear my way to find) through the farm takes me directly to the forest by Marnie’s ranch, and that that particular path is the fastest way to the beach from the farm.

I keep finding these worms wriggling from the ground. They weird me out, so I took a hoe and hacked at them. It turns out they’re pretty good indicators of something hiding in the dirt beneath them. From one spot at the beach, I found a book. At another place in the mountains, I found a strange-looking doll. It looked tattered and worn, and I wondered if Gunther would be able to tell me more about it.

I ran over to the museum to get his opinion. He had trudged over to the empty museum section of the building. “Abysmal…” he groaned, “not a single piece in the entire collection.”

I guess he hadn’t had any luck finding any new artifacts. “Hi, Gunther, I found this odd thing earlier today…”

He perked up quickly. “What’s this? You found something? Let me see it!”

I walked over to him, pulled out the doll from my backpack, and handed it to him. Gunther flaked off some remaining dirt and took a magnifying glass to it.

“Remarkable!” he exclaimed. “It’s very old. I’d love to study this in greater detail, but it is yours.” He handed the strange doll back to me. “Hmmm… I’ve got a favor to ask of you.”

“Yes Gunther?”

“Would you consider donating any new artifacts or minerals you find? We could make a groundbreaking discovery together! Oh, and who knows? If you keep donating I might come across some interesting items to send your way.” I glanced down to the doll in my hand. “Think about it, will you? If you decide to donate, just bring the objects to the front desk.”

I placed the doll back in Gunther’s hands. “It’s yours.”

Grateful, Gunther smiled as he placed the doll on a museum shelf. “Thank you.”

In return for this first donation, he gave me 250g. Not much, but it was probably more than the doll is worth, so I didn’t complain. Plus I’m happy I’m able to afford more seeds that I plan to buy tomorrow.

I also learned that the book I found was a missing book from the library, lost before receptionists effectively kept track of who borrowed what book. This book I found was on foraging, and I found one tip in the book about clearing the forest floor so foragables have more space to grow. It’s something to remember when I have the energy to clear the forest floor.


	7. The Community Center

**Friday, Spring 5 Year 1:**

My first parsnips grew! I sold a few to Pierre then bought some additional seeds: a little bit of everything in the shop. It’ll be nice to have more options.

On my way to fish in the mountain lake, I found Mayor Lewis just north of town, standing in front of a run down building with a giant broken clock above the main entrance.

Lewis spotted me. “Oh, hi there.” I waved back then stood by him. “What an eyesore…” he muttered sadly.

Curious, I walked up to him. “What is this place?” I inquired.

“This is the Pelican Town Community Center… or what’s left of it, anyway.” Mayor Lewis stared at the building, a hint of bittersweet nostalgia glistening in his eyes. “It used to be the pride and joy of the town, always bustling with activity. Now, just look at it. It’s shameful. These days, the young folk would rather sit in front of the TV than engage with the community.”

He sighed deeply as he shrugged. “But listen to me, I sound like an old fool.” Another sad sigh. “Joja Corporation has been hounding me to sell them the land so they can turn it into a warehouse. Pelican Town could use the money, but there’s something stopping me from selling it. I guess old timers like me get attached to the relics of the past… ah well. If anyone else buys a Joja Co. Membership, I’m just gonna go ahead and sell it.”

I felt drawn to the mysterious building. I didn’t say anything, but Mayor Lewis could see my curiosity. “Here, let’s go inside,” he sighed.

He took a key out from his pocket and used it to unlock the door. I followed in after him.

The main room was much larger than I was expecting. Centering it all was a giant brick fireplace along the back wall. A broken fish tank sat in the corner of the room to the right of the fireplace, and at the corner to its left, some odd little grass and mud hut.

Apparently Mayor Lewis hadn’t seen the mud hut before. “Hmm? What’s this…? I guess Vincent and Jas must’ve been playing in here.” It appeared that being in there depressed him more. “This place is even more dilapidated than I remember.”

Suddenly, I spotted some green blob behind Mayor Lewis. I thought it skittered into sight at first.

“Look behind you.” I lowered my voice in an attempt not to disturb it.

“What?” Just as Lewis turned, whatever the green thing was disappeared. He looked around more when he spotted nothing. “What’s the matter? Are you ill?”

I walked over to where the green thing was, but couldn’t find it. “I thought I saw something.” I said disappointedly.

“You saw something? Hmm… I guess I wouldn’t be surprised if this place was full of rats.”

I would have agreed that it was just a rat, but just then I spotted another green blob that appeared at a different part of the room.

“There it is again!” I pointed towards it, and I swear it didn’t run off; it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Again, Lewis didn’t turn to see it fast enough.

“You’re worrying me, Taylor…” Lewis took a step towards the exit. “Look, I think I’m going to head home. I need some lunch.”

He opened the door to leave. “Hey. I’ll keep this door unlocked from now on. Maybe you can help catch that rat if you have some extra time.”

“Okay. Thank you, Lewis.”

He nodded then left.

Those green blobs were so strange. I decided to explore the building further. There were so many broken floorboards to be wary of.

Down one hall to the right was a bulletin board with notices at least ten years old. The first door led into an empty vault. The end of that hall led downstairs to a boiler room.

The other hall had a kitchen at the very end. I would have liked to be able to use the stove and oven, but it was an old gas stove that has been detached for a while. Two other doors were in that hall. One room was a pantry. In the other room, I found another blob, purple this time. It ran from a piece of yellowed parchment on the ground. I picked it up to try to read it, but it wasn’t a language I even recognized, let alone could read.

Finally, I returned home. I fertilized, planted, and watered my new seeds and retired to bed.


	8. Meet Wizard M. Rasmodius

**Saturday, Spring 6 Year 1:**

My first observation of the morning was that of a growing number of crows gathering near the farm. They must have flown past the farm in the past due to the lack of crops, but now that I’m here growing things, they have gotten curious. To prevent them from becoming bold enough to take anything, I took an old pillowcase, stuffed it with fibers I cut from grass, tied it onto a wooden pole (which conveniently gave it a humanoid figure), and staked it into the ground next to the humble crop section of the farm.

Next, I checked my mailbox, in which I finally discovered what was up with the odd stone tower in the forest. I received a letter with unique blue stationery this morning. My name and address wasn’t found anywhere on the envelope, which intrigued me.

_ My sources tell me you’ve been poking around inside the old community center. _

_ Why don’t you pay me a visit? _

_ My chambers are west of the forest lake, in the stone tower. I may have information concerning your… ‘rat problem’. _

_ ~ M. Rasmodius, Wizard _

An actual wizard? This seemed weird. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the _ Harry Potter _ book series, but I’d come to accept there was no such thing as magic ages ago. Maybe he’s referring to a Solarion Chronicles status?

Still intrigued despite Marnie’s warning from Wednesday, I finished watering my crops, foraged a few items in the forest, and swung by the stone tower. I knocked on the heavy wooden door.

“Ah… come in.” A mysterious male voice replied. Cautiously, I pushed the door open and walked in.

Across the room stood a man (probably in his fifties? It was really hard to tell) in black robes and a hat that reminded me more of a cowboy than a magician. He had brilliant purple hair, head hair and beard hair. It couldn’t be his natural hair color… could it? He walked towards me from what reminded me of a Pentagram on the floor. I was starting to get scared.

“Ah, yes. I’ve predicted your arrival a long time ago, young Taylor. However, your fate is ultimately in your hands.”

“Who are you?” I asked, even though I knew.

“I am Rasmodius…” he introduced himself. “Seeker of the arcane truths. Mediary between physical and ethereal. Master of the seven elements. Keeper of the sacred cha– … you get the point. And you, Taylor. The one whose arrival I have long foreseen. Here, I’d like to show you something.”

Did long foreseen mean years ago, or just a couple weeks? The latter isn’t impressive anymore. I would have written him off as a scam if he hadn’t summoned one of the blobs that I saw in the community center in the middle of his not-Pentagram. Upon inspecting it more closely, I realized that the blob had the tiniest arms and legs and a single antennae off the top of its head. It could change colors too; I realized as its color cycled through green, purple, and orange.

“You’ve seen one before, haven’t you?”

I nodded. “What is it?”

“They call themselves the ‘Junimos’… mysterious spirits, these ones. For some reason, they refuse to speak with me. I’m not sure why they’ve moved into the community center, but you have no reason to fear them.”

When I relaxed some, I found that these Junimos were kind of cute. This one disappeared to wherever it came from.

“Rasmodius? While I was looking around in the community center yesterday, I found this golden scroll. I couldn’t recognize the language, though.”

“Hmm? You found a golden scroll written in an unknown language?” I nodded. “Most interesting… stay here. I’m going to see for myself. I’ll return shortly.”

He freaking teleported out of the tower, and less than a minute later waltzed in through the front door.

“I found the note.” He announced as he came in, making me jump. “The language is obscure, but I was able to decipher it: _ We, the Junimo, are happy to aid you. In return, we ask for gifts of the valley. If you are one with the forest then you will see the true nature of this scroll. _”

Rasmodius paced the floor. “Hmm… ‘one with the forest’… what do they mean?” He inhaled deeply and picked up a strong scent from his cauldron. He walked over to it, sniffing some more.

“Ah-hah!” He beckoned me. “Come here!”

“What is it?”

“My cauldron is bubbling with ingredients from the forest. Baby fern, moss grub, caramel-top toadstool… can you smell it?”

It smelled like rot and dirt to me. Rasmodius dipped a cup into the cauldron and filled it with the green liquid contents of the cauldron. He then placed it in my hands. “Here. Drink up. Let the essence of the forest permeate your body.”

Excuse me? He wanted me to drink _that_? I wanted to retch. He had proven himself to be legitimate though, so I thought I could trust him. Maybe it’ll taste better than it smells?

No luck. I could only manage one swallow. The stuff was even worse than beer. My stomach churned, and for the rest of the day, I felt like I was going to vomit. I managed to bid Rasmodius good-bye and walked back to my farm. I not only felt green, but saw green. I passed out early that day, seeing trees dancing behind my eyelids before I finally fell asleep.


	9. Marlon and the Mines

**Sunday, Spring 7 Year 1:**

According to the calendar, it’s Mayor Lewis’s birthday. I didn’t have much to give, but he seemed to like the parsnip from my first harvest. I decided I would make an effort to give everyone something for their birthday. It would help others see me as friendly and willing to talk with them, and may even soften up those who wouldn’t be as friendly otherwise, like Shane.

Lewis asked about my first week in the old cottage.

“Pleasant enough,” I replied. “Better than where I was living in the city. I had some pretty solid sleep since I moved here, even despite the rickety bed.”

Lewis smiled. “Your grandpa used to complain about the rickety old bed. But I think, deep down, he actually loved that house.”

“I know he did.” I smiled. “Thank you, Lewis.”

I wandered into the Community Center again. This time, a new parchment rested on the floor of the room across the pantry, the crafts room. To my surprise, I could read it! I guess that nasty potion the wizard made worked. The Junimo requested supplies. I wasn’t sure why, but I decided to meet their request for one of the bundles, one of each spring foragable, since I conveniently had one of each in my backpack at the time. A new scroll with more items appeared in the pantry, and one junimo picked up the bundle and carried it into the mud hut in the main room. Nothing else happened since then, but I did receive thirty packets of spring foragables seeds, so that was nice.

The day I first entered the community center two days ago, I got a letter from Joja Co. For a moment, I was afraid that they were going to ask me to work for them again (which I would emphatically decline). It turns out that they finished the construction work in the mountains.

_ To our valued JojaMart customers: _

_ Our team members have removed the landslide caused by our drilling operation near the mountain lake. I’d like to remind you that our drilling operation is entirely legal (pursuant to init. L61091, JojaCo Amendment). Responsible stewardship of the local environment is our top priority! _

_ We apologize for any inconvenience this accident may have caused. _

_ As always, we value your continued support and patronage! _

_ ~ Morris, Joja Customer Satisfaction Representative _

I presumed Morris was the manager of the Joja Branch here. I decided not to worry about how he got my address even though I never walked into Pelican Town’s JojaMart. I was more curious about what there was to explore past where Joja was working in the mountains.

There wasn’t much; a single building called the Adventurer’s Guild and broken bridge to a quarry. I then decided to inspect the cavity in the mountain.

Inside was this older, yet fit, man (at least 50s) who was looking down a ladder. He had white hair and wore a brown capelet and an eyepatch. He seemed lost in thought as he hummed. He looked up when he heard me, and nodded his head in acknowledgement. I gave a small wave in reply. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“I was just peering down into this old mine shaft. It’s been abandoned for decades. Still, there’s probably good ore down there. But a dark place, undisturbed for so long… I’m afraid ore isn’t the only thing you’ll find.”

I have heard of people occasionally stumbling across slimes and other creatures, but up to that point, I haven’t seen any. The man took a rusty sword off his belt. “Here, take this. You might need it.”

I unsheathed the sword briefly to inspect it. It wasn’t much, but it seemed like it would do its job. “Thank you… er…” I realized I hadn’t learned his name.

“Name’s Marlon, by the way.”

I extended a hand and we shook. “I’m Taylor, the new farmer.”

Marlon gestured outside the cave. “I run the Adventurer’s Guild right outside.”

“Neat.”

He gave the slightest of smirks before leaving the mountain. “I’ll keep my eye on you. Prove yourself and I might think about making you a member.”

Marlon took off, and then I decided to descend. Nothing hostile on the first level, and I only needed to mine a couple of rocks before I found a staircase to the next level. Then on there were a few slimes. I managed to make it to level 5 before I found the elevator. I only got minor bruises from this trip, and while I knew I could take more of a beating, I didn’t have much more energy for mining. My haul was nine nuggets of copper ore, a quartz rock, and dozens of stones. I was grateful that this sketchy-looking elevator only looked sketchy. It ran like a new car; smooth and secure.

It was twilight when I left the mines. I caught Sebastian on my way back to the farm. He mentioned that there was a train station up north not far away, but the path got blocked off by Joja Co.’s drilling operation, and they neglected to clear that path again. We briefly exchanged resentful feelings against them. I then asked him if he knew someone outside of the Adventurer’s Guild who could use a sword. I didn’t hear it from him, but apparently Abigail knows some? I’ll have to ask.


	10. Blueprints and Monsters

**Monday, Spring 8 Year 1:**

Clint the blacksmith showed up to the front door this morning. Word got out that I visited the mines yesterday.

I ran into him rather abruptly; I wasn’t anticipating any visitors, and was still in my sleepwear of red shorts down to my knees and a thick-strapped white tank top when he knocked. I at least had the dignity of throwing on a brown jacket quickly before opening the door to go out and water the crops.

“Uh… hi there. Good morning.” He said shyly.

I subconsciously zipped up the jacket when I felt a slight wind. “Good morning, Clint. What brings you here?”

“I noticed that you’ve been breaking some rocks open and finding ore.”

I stayed silent for a minute. I wasn’t sure whether to show a brave face or take an I’ll-be-more-careful approach.

“That’s good!” Clint exclaimed, as if he read my mind. I tried to hide a sigh of relief. He continued. “If you want to get the most out of the ores you find, you’ll need a furnace. Just so happens I had an extra set of blueprints lying around.”

He held out a carefully rolled-up piece of blue paper. I took it and looked at the schematic briefly. “Thank you.”

Clint nodded and smiled. “The furnace allows you to smelt metal bars. The bars can be used for crafting, construction, and tool upgrades.”

Ah, there’s the rub. “When you’ve smelted a few copper bars, consider having me upgrade one of your tools. It can make your work a lot easier.”

It would be nice to cut down trees with fewer than ten whacks with an axe, I thought. “I’ll certainly think about it. Thanks again.”

Clint nodded. “Well, okay. I’m heading home. Take it easy.”

He then walked back into town. I would need more copper ores before I could make a furnace, I realized. After tending to the crops, I made my way up to the mines again. I took the elevator down to the fifth level, but retreated to the surface from level 8 by ladder when one floor was overwhelmingly infested with slimes and bugs.

On the plus side, I got admitted into the Adventurer’s Guild and met Gil briefly. He's a guy even older than Marlon, who seems to spend more of his days snoring in a rocking chair. Marlon suggested that I complete some Monster Eradication Goals before talking to him. It would take a while before I even got close to completing any of the goals, I realized.

I spent the rest of the day foraging at the beach and in the forest. I came down from the playground and community center with some dandelions when I spotted Harvey relaxing under a tree. I waved to him.

“Have you been going into the mines?”

Somehow he knew too. Is there any privacy in this small town? “Once or twice.” I admitted.

“It’s a dangerous place. I recommend against it.”

“Okay.” I shrugged it off. I know he meant well, but I feel like he takes his doctor role too seriously sometimes.


	11. A Filthy Varmint

**Tuesday, Spring 9 Year 1:**

This time I foraged in the forest first. I took a few horseradishes and dandelions with me going into the mines. I was determined to make it to the next elevator floor.

Linus heard someone messing with his tent the other night. Worried that I had disturbed him, I gave him one of the dandelions I had. He liked it well enough.

I think the mines reset somehow overnight, because this time the infested floor was level 7. Thanks to the spare food I brought though, I managed to defeat every creature on that floor. I had just enough energy to make it to level 10, which had some nice new leather boots that somehow fit my feet perfectly. Slowly, I'm believing more in the magic of the valley.

It was well after sunset again, at least after 8 PM, when I got out of the mines. I still enjoyed how peaceful Pelican Town looked when so few town lights remained on. This time though, I saw an upset George outside of his home.

“Grr… sounds like those raccoons are back again. Filthy varmints…” he muttered. He looked up when he saw me walk by, and I could see he had an idea.

“Ah, you turned up at just the right moment. Could you do an old man a favor?”

“Sure.” I shrugged. “What do you need?”

“Could you go around the corner and scare off those raccoons for me? They’ve been causin’ a real mess.” I nodded. “Thanks. Make sure you give them a good scare so they never come back.”

George went back inside his house. I was cautious and held my rusty sword out, poised to hit a raccoon in case one had rabies.

To my surprise, Linus was there, leaned up against the wall.

“Linus.” I lowered my sword. “Did you see any raccoons back here?” I asked.

Linus hung his head. “It was me… I’m sorry.” He held up a small bag of burnt cookies he retrieved from the Mullner’s trash can. “I find a lot of hot, fresh food in these cans… stuff that will go to waste if I don’t take it. Do you think there’s something wrong with what I’m doing?”

I wanted to say yes, but then heard the low growl of Linus’s belly. He must not have had a good foraging day in the mountains, I realized. I then remembered my summers between years of university, when I worked as a cashier for Joja Co. One awful aspect of working there was tossing food barely past the expiration date, and the higher-ups not letting us employees take any of it home unless we purchased it for full price.

“It’s a shame for food to go to waste,” I finally replied, “especially when people nearby are going hungry.”

Linus weakly smiled, relieved I didn’t try to berate him. “Thanks, Taylor. I knew you were an open-minded person. I feel good about what I’m doing. I’m not harming anyone.”

It took me to that moment to realize that even though he dug into the trash can, Linus was careful not to make a mess, something raccoons usually wouldn’t be considerate enough to do.

“You can go on home,” he prompted. “I promise I won’t rummage in George’s can anymore. You can tell him you scared off the raccoons for good.”

I worried he wasn’t getting enough food, but I didn’t have anything to spare after the trip to the mines. “Okay. Good night, Linus.”

We parted ways behind the Stardrop Saloon. I hid behind the building and watched as Linus dug into the trash can near the front door. Suddenly, I heard the front door open. Linus tried to run off and hide, and I knew if he was successful, he might run into me watching him.

“Wait.” I heard Gus. Linus stopped. Gus wouldn’t find me, but I wondered how he would respond to Linus’s situation. “I know what you were doing, Linus.”

Linus timidly turned to face Gus. Gus was quiet for a few long moments. “If you need food… just ask. I don’t want anyone in Pelican Town to go hungry.”

Gus handed him a wonderfully smelling basket. “Here. I’ve got a basket of zucchini fritters for you. Just make sure you dip them in my spicy marinara! Go on… take it.”

Linus muttered a quiet thanks, then made his way back to his tent in the mountains. I was grateful for Gus’s kind gesture. I’ve decided I would make sure to give Linus something to eat at least once a week. It’s not much, but it’s what I can offer, and if it helps him get by another day, it's worth it.


	12. It Is Wednesday, My Dudes

**Wednesday, Spring 10 Year 1:**

Finally, a rainy day! It was nice to not have to water the crops today. If I had started mining for ores sooner, perhaps I could have used the day to upgrade my watering can, but oh well. Perhaps the next rainy day.

I’ve gotten two ads from the villagers in the last couple days. Today Robin sent me hers.

_ Dear Farmer Taylor, _

_ I’d like to apologize for joking about your Grandpa’s old cottage when we first met. It really is a nice little house! _

_ However, you might need some more space someday. That’s where I can help. If you bring me some materials and pay a fee, I can expand your house. _

_ The first expansion I offer includes a kitchen. With a kitchen, you’ll be able to cook any recipes you’ve learned! _

_ Anyway, I hope you’re starting to feel at home in Stardew Valley. _

_ ~ Your local carpenter, Robin _

I knew I didn’t have the money and supplies ready for that yet; today I planned on spending money on another nicety. Yesterday I got this ad in the mail from Pierre.

_ ADVERTISEMENT: _

_ “I keep finding cool stuff, but my backpack is too full!” _

_ Does this sound like you? Well, Pierre’s got you covered! _

_ Stop by Pierre’s General Store TODAY and check out our affordable size 24 backpack! _

_ See you soon! _

I laughed at the cheesy style of the ad, then promptly forgot about it because I didn’t quite have 2000g yet. I did want the backpack though; stuff I find in the mines are getting more diverse, and my size 12 backpack limited what I could take back up to the surface with me.

I swung by at 9 AM, only to realize that Pierre closes shop on Wednesdays. There’s always tomorrow, I supposed. I was glad to swing by anyway though, because I had forgotten that Vincent’s birthday was today. He seemed grateful for the earth crystal I gave him. (I found two in the mines yesterday and gave one to Gunther after my brief trip by the General Store.) Jodi especially appreciated the gesture, even if seeing me enter their home sopping wet from the rain made him think about playing in the mud.

I spent more of the rest of the day at the beach. I hauled about 300 logs over to the beach and built a bridge over to some tide pools. I found some corals and a purple sea urchin. I smiled at an old memory of playing old Freddi Fish computer games, where purple sea urchins were their currency.

Towards the forest behind the tide pools, I noticed a man. At first I thought he was Willy, as he had similar facial hair. Upon closer inspection, this man had a different shape. I had nearly missed him at first because he was there, but also not there. A ghost, I think.

“Are you… there?” I asked before regretting not putting together a better question.

The ghost simply nodded.

“Who are you?”

No reply. I looked over him and his attire of blue clothes and a brown fisherman’s hat, and determined his occupation is – or was, a mariner.

“What brings you here?”

Finally, the old mariner spoke. “I’ve got this old amulet to sell… but somethin’ tells me yer not ready for it, miss.”

I decided not to question him further. Perhaps I could ask someone in town about him.

For the remainder of the day, I fished on the beach and the river. Willy was right about unique fish that only show up in the rain or at night; I was lucky to catch one catfish in the river and a couple of eels in the sea.


	13. Robin’s Lost Axe

**Thursday, Spring 11 Year 1:**

I got a plea for help in the mail today.

_ MISSING: _

_ I lost my favorite axe! If you find it, please return ASAP. I’m having a tough time without it. There’s 250g in it for whoever finds the thing. _

_ ~ Robin _

I didn’t know where to start looking, so I decided to just run though my usual routine: watering crops, petting Bella the Cat, and then foraging in the forest before going to Pierre’s to buy a larger backpack.

Surprisingly, I found the axe pretty quickly, before noon. It was near the sewer grate by a couple of felled trees.

I stopped by Pierre’s first, and very briefly to blow most of my money on the backpack.

Finally, I made it to Robin’s residence. She was attending her business’s matters at the front counter.

“I got your letter this morning. Is this yours?” I pulled the axe out of my backpack.

Robin’s forest green eyes lit up with delight. “Hey, you found my axe! What a relief… I almost chopped my toe off with the other one I was using. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. I was lucky to have stumbled upon it earlier this morning.”

“Hey! I heard that Lewis showed you around the Community Center.”

I shuddered at the memory of the repulsive potion the wizard gave me, and remembered the junimos collecting a bundle I gave them earlier that week. “It’s an interesting place.” I finally commented.

“It’d be great if you could fix that place up. It used to be a really nice building!”

“It looks like it. We’ll see. It depends on how much time and money I can spare after fixing up the farm. Speaking of which, I better get going.”

“Okay. You’re always welcome to visit us, even if you aren’t shopping, you know. It can get pretty lonely up here in the mountains.”

“Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind.” I waved and shut her shop door behind me. It felt good to have her approval beyond business.

Mining is so much better with a bigger backpack! I found a couple different gemstones and a few geodes, and managed to zip my way from level 10 to 15, where there was another elevator floor available. I’ve decided I would do my best to do five levels each time I went down in the mines, so I can remember where I’ve been and reach the deeper levels sooner.


	14. Me Sell Hats

**Friday, Spring 12 Year 1:**

An even weirder ad came in the mail today. It was full of spelling and grammatical errors, and signed off by someone (or something) I was not familiar with.

_ Hi. _

_ Me sell hats. Okay, poke? _

_ Come to old old old haus, poke. Bring coines. _

_ ~ hat mouse _

As it turns out, in an abandoned run-down house south of the wizard’s tower, there now was a little mouse who sold hats. Only one hat was available at the time, but the mouse promised that more would become available with time. Perhaps I’ll actually buy one someday, but as of right now, “coines” are rather precious to me.

I foraged in the forest, then fished on the river near Sam’s house. A half an hour later, Sam came out with his skateboard. I gave a small wave.

“Oh hi!” He grinned. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Thanks.” I stopped overthinking what he said so I wouldn’t blush. Thankfully, at that moment, a fish caught my hook, and I reeled in a sunfish. Sam started practicing kickflips behind me. After catching a few more fish, I turned and watched for a little bit. Finally, he did one flawlessly, and got excited.

“You saw that, right?” I nodded and clapped my hands in a quiet applause. “Thank you, thank you.” He bowed exaggeratedly so his hair flopped goofily over his head. “It’s Taylor, right?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“My friends and I hang out at the saloon every Friday night. Wanna come?”

“Sure.” I was grateful for his invitation. He hurried into his house to put away his skateboard, then we walked over together. “So what do you do at the saloon?”

“Usually, play pool. Sebastian’s the reigning champ, but one of these days, I’m bound to defeat him once. Abby occasionally plays ‘Journey of the Prairie King’ in the arcade.”

I smiled. I was right about Sam being the right guy to befriend to make other friends. “Cool.”

We entered the saloon, where Sebastian and Abigail were waiting.

“Hey Sam!” Sebastian extended a cue stick to Sam. “Ready to get destroyed?”

Sam grinned as he took it. “You’re on.”

Sebastian broke the triangle of billiard balls. I sat next to Abigail on the couch to watch.

“Sam never wins.” She smirked. We both sat in an awkward silence at first. “So… how’s the farm?” she finally asked.

“It’s growing well enough. It’s taking forever to clear the trees and debris. You’re welcome to explore the southern part of the land. Besides a little clearing so I can reach the forest more quickly, that section looks about the same as it did when I first got here.” I remembered her mentioning when we first met that she enjoyed wandering the field.

“Heh. Thanks. Sorry if I came across as rude when we first met.”

I shrugged. “Eh, I can understand missing exploring.”

Sam cheered. Although Sebastian was ahead of him by three solids, he was excited to sink his first stripe in a corner pocket.

“So…” I lowered my voice. “A little birdie told me you know how to use a sword.”

“It’s Sebastian, isn’t it?”

“I said a little birdie, but okay.” She laughed, and I laughed with her. “I was just wondering if you would be willing to spar and teach me some is all. If not, I understand.”

Abigail thought for a minute. “Are you planning on attending the Egg Festival tomorrow?”

I got the invitation from Mayor Lewis earlier this morning.

_ Dear Taylor, _

_ Tomorrow we’re holding the Egg Festival in the town square. _

_ You should arrive between 9 AM and 2 PM if you’d like to attend. _

_ You wouldn’t want to miss the annual egg hunt! _

_ ~ Mayor Lewis _

“Yeah, sure. Why?” 

“They let some of us younger adults play in the egg hunt. There are only two real kids in town after all. I never lose. If you happen to win tomorrow, I’ll teach you. If I win though, you get me an amethyst from the mines.”

Not too bad of a deal. “You’re on.”

“NO!!” We both turned to the pool table. Sam accidentally sunk the eight ball too soon.

“Game over. Get rekt.” Sebastian grinned as he took out a cigarette and walked out of the saloon for a smoke.

That was a fun night. I’m happy that I have the time and new friends to do this with.


	15. The Egg Festival

**Saturday, Spring 13 Year 1:**

I loved seeing the town so decorated and cheery at the Egg Festival. Even Shane was happy about working with the chickens for this day.

I ended up not drinking any punch. Pam whispered to me that she spiked it, and I wasn’t about to lose whatever chance I may have at winning the egg hunt due to being buzzed. Gus loved making the food, Emily loved decorating… Pierre got upset briefly when I snuck in behind a little shop he set up for the festival. I made up for it by buying ten strawberry seeds. I would have loved to buy more, but money is tight, unfortunately.

Everyone seemed happy to be there, for friends or for food (or both). Alex boasted of eating three eggs daily for the protein which reminded me briefly of Gaston from _ Beauty & the Beast _. He certainly had the right build to be like him. Haley mentioned preferring the Flower Dance later in the season. Dr. Harvey sat further away from everyone else though; he seemed engrossed in a book. I didn’t catch the title, but I think it was a medical journal. “I should probably take off the doctor’s hat for the time being,” he admitted before eventually joining the others. I wonder if he ever does take off that “doctor’s hat”.

“Do you think everyone’s ready for the egg hunt yet?” Lewis asked when I walked by.

“When does the egg hunt start?!” I heard Vincent shout. “I’m so excited!!”

“Please don’t take all the eggs…” Jas whined.

I shrugged. “May as well start now, Mayor.”

Lewis nodded. “Alright folks, it’s time for the highlight of today’s festivities… the Annual Spring Egg Hunt!” He summoned the participants to the square. Vincent and Jas cheered and eagerly raced over. Maru followed behind them. Sam muttered something about allergies as he rubbed his nose and walked over. Finally, Abigail stepped beside me and flashed a grin towards me, mouthing: _ “You’re going down!” _

“Calm down now, kiddos.” Lewis addressed Jas and Vincent. “You’re going to need all your energy if you hope to find the most eggs and take home the exclusive prize. Now… is everyone ready?”

“Yeah!” The kids shouted. Us older ones nodded.

Lewis smiled. “Let the egg hunt begin!”

I made the mistake of waiting for a countdown. Abigail was, of course, the first one off, and snagged an egg right away. I took off towards the Mayor’s Manor.

I picked up my fifth egg when we were all summoned back to the square. I noticed Sam slipping a couple of his eggs into his brother’s basket on the way.

“Wow, look at all those eggs! Now if only I could get you kids to pick up litter this efficiently, we’d have the cleanest town on this side of the Gem Sea!” Lewis chuckled at his own joke as he inspected each of our baskets. “And now, the winner of this year’s egg hunt… Abigail!”

She won with eight eggs. Lewis walked up to her with a straw hat. “Here’s your prize! Enjoy.” Abigail picked up the hat, but didn’t seem too pleased with it. “Well, that’s it for this year’s Egg Festival. Thanks for coming, everyone!”

Caroline and Jodi began taking down the decorations, and Demetrius and Clint stacked chairs carried them into a storage room in Pierre’s General Store.

Abigail playfully waved the hat in front of my face. “See? Told ya I would win!”

“Alright, alright,” I smiled as I gently pushed the hat away. “I’ll get you the first amethyst I find.”

“Great! It’s a better prize than this hat anyway. Lewis used to give a 1000g cash prize, but I guess he got tired of me taking the money every year. Or my parents told him to stop or something…” She stared at it in her hands for a moment. “Hmm…” Suddenly, she placed it on top of my head. “Now you really look like a farmer.” She hollered over to Sam and Sebastian. “Hey guys, doesn’t Taylor look more like a farmer with this hat?”

“Now that you mention it… yeah!” Sam came over and started tilting the hat in different directions on my head, wondering what angle optimized the farmer appearance.

“Easy on the hair, man.” I took the hat off and passed it back to Abigail.

“You can keep it, Taylor. I’ll never wear it.”

“I probably won’t either, but thanks.” I disliked the scratchy feeling of the straw on my head, but I could deal with it for a little, as my head was the most convenient place to put it for the time being. “Here, you can have this as an alternative prize…” I reached in my backpack and took out the only interesting thing I happened to have: a white quartz. “Quartz?”

Abigail’s eyes lit up, and she eagerly took the quartz. “Hey, how’d you know I was hungry? This looks delicious!”

Did I hear that wrong? “Wait, what?”

Abigail responded by straight up taking a bite out of it like it was a candy bar.

“WHOA!” Sam’s eyes grew large and he looked at her incredulously. “What the –”

“Can I try?” Sebastian asked.

I absentmindedly took a second quartz from my backpack and plopped it in his hand.

“Okay… I’m just gonna call it a day. Good night, guys!”

As I walked off, I heard Sam say, “Great Abby, you scared the farmer off.” I turned to see her shrug shamelessly, which made me smile.

Sebastian attempted a bite at his quartz. “How did you do that?” was the last thing I heard from the trio. What a town, and what a day.

Abigail’s straw hat found a home on top of the head of my scarecrow.


	16. Picture Perfect

**Sunday, Spring 14 Year 1:**

Today was Haley’s birthday, I noticed briefly when I looked at the calendar and notice board. What to get for a snob? I wondered while I fished on the river by the Community Center.

When I got tired of that, I started foraging around the area. I only found one daffodil.

“Hey, could you move out of the way?”

I heard Haley holler from by the fountain. She held up a camera that hung from her neck. “I want to get this shot perfect.”

I shrugged and moved out of her way. She took some pictures of the fountain, followed by a couple of selfies with her phone. “Thank you.” She looked at the daffodil I held in my hand. “That’s a pretty flower.”

“Thanks. Would you like it?”

“I couldn’t – ” I placed the stem in her hand.

“Happy birthday!”

“Oh, is it my birthday today?”

“Spring 14?”

Haley secured the flower by placing the stem under a bracelet she was wearing, so now it looked like a corsage. “I guess it is. Thanks. This is nice.”

I smiled. Perhaps there’s more to her than a pretty face. “I’m glad you like it.”

She then went on to complain about how little there is to do in a small town like this, and expressed thanks for online shopping for when she lives twenty miles from the nearest mall. Back to her petty snobby self, I guess. Whatever.

I returned to the beach to collect more shells and corals. The old mariner was nowhere to be found. I regret not looking for him sooner after I found him Wednesday.


	17. Shadows in the Sewers

**Monday, Spring 15 Year 1:**

Salmonberry season has begun! I decided I would focus more on foraging those over the next few days. Granny Evelyn sent me a nice farming tip in the mail.

_ Hello, dear… _

_ I know you’re just getting started as a gardener, so I wanted to give you a little tip. _

_ Most crops only grow in one season. When summer arrives, your spring crops will all die out. So plan ahead! _

_ ~ Granny Evelyn _

In other words, pay attention to the seed packaging that tells you how fast they grow. I was grateful for her consideration; I probably would have forgotten to do that.

After watering crops, I looked for salmonberries and spring onions in the forest when I found Jas and Vincent looking into a sewer grate.

“Ew… it smells.” Jas muttered.

Vincent tried to move the bars of the grate, but to no avail. “Why is it locked? I want to explore the sewers!” He banged at the grate once.

“I think Gunther has the key.” Jas said.

“Professor Gunther? The man who runs the museum? Why do you think he has it?” Vincent asked.

“I saw a big rusty old key fall out of his pocket one time. A creepy sewer door like this has just got to be a match for a big rusty old key.”

I heard some noise coming from inside the sewer. Vincent and Jas turned and looked to see if they could see it. Whatever they saw, they jumped and screamed as they ran away from the grate. They stopped behind me.

“There’s something moving around in there!” Jas panicked.

“Okay, I’ll go take a look.”

The two waited on top of the cliffs. I cautiously walked down to the grate and peered inside. It was dark in there, so for a moment I wondered if whatever they saw would even show up again.

It did. It was some shadowy figure that I couldn’t quite distinguish. The thought of Pennywise the Dancing Clown sneering back at me flashed in my mind, and immediately I no longer wanted to be there to see if it would become reality.

I jumped, then ran up to meet the kids. “I’m with you two on this one. Perhaps you should play closer to the ranch today.”

They agreed. I went on to continue foraging berries, and dropped off my axe and some other supplies to Clint so he could upgrade it.


	18. Dirty Advertising

**Tuesday, Spring 16 Year 1:**

Pierre wrote me another ad in the mail.

_ Dear neighbor, _

_ I hope you are feeling settled in your new home. I am writing to let you know that Pierre’s store is now selling fertilizers! Why don’t you swing by and see if you can afford a few dozen boxes or so? _

_ ~ Pierre _

I recently learned how to make a basic fertilizer out of tree sap, so even if I wanted to buy fertilizer, I didn’t think I could afford a couple dozen boxes. However, I did know I wanted to plant more seeds before the end of spring. I foraged more salmonberries in the forest first before swinging by.

It was the third or fourth time I entered the store. Today was a busier day than usual.

“Welcome to Pierre’s!” Pierre called out to me as I came up to the counter. “How can I help you?”

“I wanted to buy some more seeds…”

I noticed Pierre suddenly wasn’t paying any attention to me. He was staring at something behind me with a concerned look on his face. I turned around to see a man I hadn’t seen before wearing a black suit coat and red bowtie enter the store. He immediately struck me as shady, almost sinister.

“Ahem…” the man began. He then held some Joja blue slips of paper in the air. “Come and get it folks… coupons for 50% off your purchase at JojaMart!”

“Fifty percent?!” Pierre exclaimed under his breath.

The man grinned wickedly towards Pierre, then turned back to the other customers in the store, waving the coupons in the air. “Well? Any takers?”

What dirty advertising! Another’s company should be a safe space from that bull. Any yet, everyone else there walked over to the man for a coupon.

“But… I can’t match those prices! I’d be selling at a loss!” Pierre admitted in discouragement. As much as I briefly considered taking a coupon, I felt it was more important for at least someone to stand by him at this time.

After the other customers left the store with their new coupons, the man came to the counter to talk to Pierre. “It must be so difficult for you to lose your loyal customers like that. But can you blame them? Joja Corporation is clearly the superior choice.” The man glanced over to me. It made me feel very uncomfortable. “Soon, the whole town will realize that.”

The man left the store. I imagined an evil laugh come from him.

“Who was that?” I asked Pierre.

“Morris.” He muttered angrily.

The customer sales representative for this branch of Joja, I realized, recognizing his name from a previous letter.

Why is Joja trying to give me more reasons to hate them? I’ve concluded that Morris would never see a cent from me.


	19. Couch Cushions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haley’s 2 Heart Event

**Wednesday, Spring 17 Year 1:**

I commissioned Robin to build a chicken coop today. I also reclaimed my axe, now upgraded to bronze. Chopping down trees was made easier, and removing stumps made possible. I’ve yet to be able to chop down giant old logs, unfortunately. Those are pretty dang stubborn.

Before that, I found two daffodils while out foraging salmonberries, and after I passed Marnie’s ranch on my way into town, I thought I would stop by the two sisters and gift them the flowers. I caught them both at a bad time, unfortunately. It was your typical sister’s squabble.

“Urgghh! I always clean under the cushions! It’s YOUR turn this week!”

“You’re being childish, Haley. I do the vast majority of the work in this house, and you know it.”

Haley turned to me, and I immediately regretted my decision to visit them. “Oh, it’s that new girl from the farm.”

“She has a name, you know.”

“Hey, I bet you’ll understand my point of view here.”

Oh boy. The last thing I wanted to do was help her, especially help her argue out of doing a simple chore. Emily sighed. “I’m really sorry to include you in this, Taylor. Haley is complaining because I asked her to clean under the cushions.”

“It’s only because I cleaned them last week!”

“Haley, why not have this be your one weekly job?” Unfortunately for Haley, I understood Emily’s position better.

Haley groaned, sighed, then turned to Emily. “Alright, you win. I guess this can be my job every week. Then there won’t be any reason to argue over it.”

Emily nodded in approval, then turned to me. “Thanks, Taylor. That was a great solution.”

“You’re welcome.” I placed the two daffodils on their living room table then left their home. I was just happy to leave and resume collecting salmonberries. There’s a reason I usually have an easier time making friends with dudes than other girls.


	20. Parsnips, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme

**Thursday, Spring 18 Year 1:**

I noticed on the calendar that today was Pam’s birthday. As an excuse to talk with Penny while she read under her favorite tree by Emily and Haley’s residence, I walked over to her.

“Hi Penny.” I sat down with my back against the tree, strategically making a 120 degree angle with Penny. Far enough to give her personal space, but not so far that I didn’t have to turn too far to see her.

“Hello.” She mumbled shyly.

“Watcha reading?” She showed me the cover of the book. _ Treasure Island _ by Robert Louis Stevenson. “Good choice.”

“Thank you… You’ve read this?”

“Well, I’ve only soon movie adaptations of _ Treasure Island _ , but I have read _ The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde _.”

“That one is an enjoyable read.” Penny smiled.

“I agree. I read it a few years ago, and I’m still pleasantly surprised that an older writer like he used a pun in the story. _ ‘If he be Mr. Hyde,’ he had thought, ‘I shall be Mr. Seek.’ _”

Penny giggled lightly. “We’re very lucky to have a library in such a small town. When you’re lost in a book, it’s easy to forget the realities of your life. Maybe that’s why I like reading so much…”

I gave her a minute to think. “Yeah, it’s fun to disappear into different worlds.”

She blinked. “…Sorry. I got carried away there.”

“No worries. I probably should go off and… dig, do farming stuff, I guess.”

“If you dig in the dirt you can find some interesting things.”

“I have. I found an old doll once.”

“One time, while the kids were playing, I found a really old piece of pottery. I brought it to Gunther and he said it was over a thousand years old. The other curator took it over to Grampleton, unfortunately.”

“Bummer.” I looked through my backpack for anything I could offer to Penny as a gift. “Parsnip?” I held one out towards her.

She accepted it. “Thank you! These are my mom’s favorites.”

“Perhaps I should give her one before the end of the day?”

“She’d love that.”

“Cool.” I got up to start walking into the forest for more salmonberries. “Thanks for the tip, Penny!”

“You’re welcome. Don’t forget to wish her a happy birthday too!”

“Alright!”

I caught Pam at the saloon later that evening. She happily accepted the parsnip. “You remembered my birthday? I’m impressed. Thanks!” She continued on to drink her beer, but she’s been visibly warmer towards me since.


	21. A Couple Requests

**Friday, Spring 19 Year 1:**

I got a help wanted request in the mail today. Usually the noticeboard ones are such a low priority to the villagers that they are pleasantly surprised when I show up with the item they requested.

_ Farmer Taylor – _

_ I have a request for you. I need a fresh cauliflower for a recipe I want to make. Could you bring me one? _

_ ~ Jodi _

Luckily for her, I had recently harvested some cauliflower, so I brought her one before noon.

“Oh, that looks so delicious! Thank you, this is just what I wanted. It’s going to be perfect for my yellow curry.”

When she opened her fridge to put the cauliflower away, I noticed the fridge is predominantly stocked with JojaMart food products.

“That’s quite a few Joja Colas…”

Jodi shrugged. “Sam likes them and will get them at work sometimes. The food at JojaMart might not be the healthiest for my family, but with such low prices you’d be crazy to shop anywhere else!”

That was a nice thing about becoming a farmer I noticed; I could choose not to be dependent on other businesses, and once I learn how to harvest more seeds from my crops, I could become even more independent.

"You can take one, if you like."

Before I could say no, Jodi passed a can to me. Not wanting to offend her, I accepted it.

On my way out the door, Sam left his bedroom. I passed him the Joja Cola, which he was more happy to accept than I was. Sam had been playing some melody on his guitar in his room while I was talking with Jodi. It sounded interesting in a good way, so I decided to let him know that.

“Thanks. I’m trying to come up with a new song for my band, but I’m blanking… Hey Taylor, what do you think my new song should be about?”

I blanked, then spouted the first thing that came to mind: Trains.

“Hey, you know what? That sounds perfect. Thanks!”

“Please don’t take that suggestion too seriously; I literally just said the first thing I could think of. You could write about a metaphorical city in the sea if you really want.”

He smiled brightly. “I’ll keep that in mind. Hey, you planning on stopping by the saloon again tonight? We’d be happy to have you join us.”

“I’ll try to swing by. I have one more errand to run. Thanks for the invite!”

“Anytime!”

I walked over towards the beach. Yesterday Elliott put up a request for refined quartz on the notice board at Pierre’s. I stuck one ordinary quartz in my newly built furnace yesterday and today it became shiny and refined. Elliott was standing at his usual place on the bridge between town and the beach.

“Here, Elliott. I saw your noticeboard request yesterday.” I placed the refined quartz on the railing beside him. His eyes lit up when he realized what I put there.

“Ah, the refined quartz I requested! And it’s a beautiful one, too. Thank you very much, Taylor.”

I took out my fishing rod and cast it into the river. “You’re welcome.”

“I hope you’ve come to think of this place as ‘home’.”

“It certainly feels homey. When I first got here, I knew I’d spend at least a season determining if I want to continue farming. I should write my parents and tell them that’s what I intend to continue doing now.” I felt a tug and reeled in a smallmouth bass.

“I’m kind of new to this town myself, but I really feel at home. I moved here only a year before you.”

Heh, I was right about him being an implant. We had a pleasant conversation, and he mentioned that he ended up here because he wanted to live a quiet life on the beach. I didn’t get to ask him what he does for a living before he took off for his home unfortunately. Perhaps another time.

The rest of the evening I spent at the saloon with the three amigos.


	22. Pizza Time

**Saturday, Spring 20 Year 1:**

An ordinary day, up until I looked at the calendar.

Today is Shane’s birthday. For the most part, I’ve been avoiding him since he first told me off my first full day here.

Robin finished building my chicken coop this morning, so I swung by Marnie’s ranch to ask about buying a chicken or two. I ended up with two chicks: one white leghorn and one brown buff orpington, and I named them Tender and Nugget respectively. When Marnie and I took the chickens to my farm, she asked me a question that stunned me for a moment.

“Are you trying to get close to my nephew?”

“Not really.” I admitted. “I think I’ll try to get him something for his birthday today anyway, just so maybe he’ll be less hostile towards me if I decide to wave or say hi. Is there anything he likes besides beer, though?”

“Pizza.”

“Pardon?”

“Get him a pizza at the saloon. I did for him once, and he wouldn’t stop talking about how great the pizza tasted when he got home.”

I smiled, grateful for Marnie’s advice. “Thanks for the tip.”

“You’re welcome. And my next tip is to get a silo. You can stock up on lots of feed for the chickens from the grass. Granted, they prefer leaving the coop and free-ranging, but it’s a good idea, especially when winter comes.”

“Thanks Marnie.”

She returned to her ranch, and I fished for some quick cash so I could pay Robin for a new silo. Finally, I swung by the saloon, bought a pizza for Shane, and had Gus deliver the birthday meal for me. I watched from across the bar, by the jukebox as Gus placed the pizza in front of Shane and whispered to him. Shane glanced up to me. I gave a small wave. He returned with his own, then started on a slice of pizza. I wasn’t brave enough to try to talk with him yet, though.

I spent the rest of the evening talking with Leah. "So why did you become a farmer?" She had asked when I told her I didn't have much experience.

"Partially, I wanted to follow in Grandpa's footsteps. If I'm being honest though, another reason is that I wanted to escape my old life."

"That's pretty much the reason I came here, too! Escaping the old life, I mean. That's very sweet to honor your grandfather like that, at least."

"Thanks."

Leah has lived in the valley for about two years now. I wonder what she escaped from, but I figured it best not to ask just yet.


	23. The Miserable Abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shane’s 2 Heart Event

**Sunday, Spring 21 Year 1:**

More harvesting, more mining. I reached level 20 and found a steel smallsword, which was at least twice as powerful as my old rusty sword in fighting against monsters. I gave the old sword back to Marlon, brought some gemstones I found to Gunther, then went to the beach to watch the sunset and relax for a bit. Until the last hour, I thought I was going to be enjoying the day all to myself.

The sun had set for at least an hour, and I was feeling exhausted. Time to go home, I decided. From the beach, I cut through town and passed Marnie’s ranch. Instead of the darkness I was used to, I saw a light sitting at the edge of the dock on the lake. Curious, I walked over to the lake to look at what it was.

Someone was sitting at the dock. I couldn’t see clearly who it was, so I quietly stepped onto the dock so I could see who it was more closely.

“Up late, huh?” I recognized Shane’s voice. I contemplated taking off, as every interaction we had before, he made it very clear he wanted to be left alone. Before I could take one step back, he held out a beer can to his right. “Here, have a cold one.”

Cautiously, I trudged to the edge of the dock, took the beer from his hand, and sat beside him. Unsure of what to do, I stared out over the water.

“Buh, life.” He muttered. Shane glanced at his opened can. I couldn’t tell how much he already drank at that point, but he looked gloomy. Gloomier than usual, I should say.

“You ever feel like… no matter what you do, you’re gonna fail?”

_ Like… studying for college placement tests? _I thought naively.

“Like you’re stuck in some miserable abyss and you’re so deep you can’t even see the light of day?” _ Oh. _ He took a swig from his can. “I just feel like no matter how hard I try… I’m not strong enough to climb out of that hole.”

I understood the feeling all too well. You know how some people like to romanticize breakups or ended friendships, saying they’d rather feel the hurt than feel nothing at all? Not me. I’d rather have never met the someone in the first place. Grieving takes a while, and it’s not easy being patient through it. While I came to Stardew Valley to create a new life and deal with new people, Shane is choosing to keep to himself, something I could understand. I probably would have made the same choice if I hadn’t thought to finally read Grandpa’s letter.

Uh, thanks for the reminder of why I came here, Shane. At least he got me a beer. I opened my can and chugged it down right away. I was only going to head home anyway, so I wouldn’t have to deal with my lightweightness for too long before bed.

“Heh. Fast drinker, huh?” He glanced over to me. I shrugged in reply. “Woman after my own heart.” I could have sworn I saw a smile out of the corner of his mouth. It disappeared as quickly as I spotted it, though. “Just don’t make it a habit; you got a future ahead of you still.”

He looked back out to the water and finished off his can of beer. We sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, he stood up.

“Welp, my liver’s beggin’ me to stop. Better call it a night. See you around, farmer.”

He walked back to the ranch. It hurt to see him suffer. I better continue gifting him some things. While I know I can’t solve his problems, I could at least try to alleviate his pain. I just wish I knew what to say that would help him out.


	24. Smile; You're With Joja

**Monday, Spring 22 Year 1:**

There wasn’t a whole lot to do today. In a bored and curious state, I decided to sneak into the JojaMart.

Not much to see, as to be expected. The elevator music playing through the store was so quiet I didn’t know if it was even there. The place looked not only clean, but sterile, as if you could put a hospital here. It felt eerie.

Towards the back of the store, Sam was there sweeping the floors in the typical baby blue (Joja blue, any higher up would claim) work attire of slacks, a collared shirt with the Joja logo, and a breton hat. It sadly reminded me of my cashiering days for Joja Co. Sam didn’t pay any attention to me, but I didn’t mind. He was listening to music on his headphones as he worked. It gave me time to wonder what he’s listening to. I concluded that it was something upbeat judging by the rhythm in his sweeping, maybe something from the 80s?

Shane was there too. He stocked the shelves with various products. If Sam wasn’t to be bothered, Shane definitely wasn’t either.

JojaMart has a larger variety of products: microwave meals, several salsa spice options, the works. Of the things the JojaMart and Pierre’s both sold, the prices were actually slightly pricier here than at Pierre’s, but with a 50% off coupon, it sunk well below Pierre’s prices.

A redhead attended the check-out line. She looked bored out of her skull. She didn’t have a nametag, and I also suspected that she’s from out of Pelican Town. Grampleton, maybe?

“Welcome to JojaMart! How are you doing today?”

Aw crap, I thought. I turned to see the man Pierre referred to as Morris. He was sitting behind a counter, emblazoned with Joja Co.’s cursed slogan: Join us. Thrive.

“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Morris, Joja Customer Satisfaction Representative.”

I gave an awkward wave. “Hey.”

“Membership is now available! With a Joja Membership, you’ll be able to make improvements in the community with the help of our dedicated personnel… for a fee, of course.” He passed me a flier listing other benefits that come from a Joja Membership, including even more of a discount on prices. “When you decide you want to become a Joja Member, I’ll be delighted to help make your transition a joyous experience. Oh, and another thing: Mayor Lewis promised me that if anyone else joined up, he’d let us turn that old community center into a Joja Warehouse. Isn’t that wonderful?”

I thought briefly of how nice it would be to buy seeds at a lower price, but then remembered the junimos. Where would they go? How would they get the help they need? Finally, I thought of my grandfather, who likely contributed to the construction of that community center ages ago. So much seemed to be on the line.

“Membership costs 5000g.” Morris interrupted my thoughts. “Well, would you like to join us?”

“No, not today.” Immediately, I passed the flier back to Morris and left the store. Even if I happened to have that amount on me, I still would have said no.

Since that interaction, I’m more determined to help the junimos. Today I dropped off six gold star quality parsnips, a potato, cauliflower, and a green bean before the end of the day. Another scroll appeared at the fish tank, with requests for a variety of fish. In return for the spring crops, they gave me 20 Speed-Gro fertilizers. I would have to wait for at least the next season before I could use those efficiently, but I appreciated the gift.


	25. Doctor’s Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harvey’s 2 Heart Event

**Tuesday, Spring 23 Year 1:**

I only planned to stop by the Mullner’s home, give George a leek I found (per recommendation by Granny Evelyn), and leave. I didn’t realize that it was his doctor’s appointment that day. The door shut behind me, and when I realized what I stumbled into, I had the good sense to duck out of sight and keep quiet.

“Okay, George. I want you to take a deep breath for me.” A pause. I recognized Dr. Harvey’s voice. “Mmhmm… turn around, please.” Another pause. I decided it best to wait until an opportunity where I can mask the sound of me opening the door and leaving.

“George, I’ll be honest with you. You need to make some changes in your lifestyle if you want to stay healthy. I’d like you to reduce your sodium intake, and try to get some moderate exercise with your arms.”

“Hmmph…” Even without seeing them, I could hear George’s disapproval in his voice. “I know what’s best for me. Who do you think you are, telling me how to live my life?”

A quiet pause passed. “I’m your doctor, George. That’s who I am…”

What subtle sass! I wasn’t expecting it from Dr. Harvey of all people. I had to hold my breath to keep from laughing aloud at the remark.

“And I went to school for eight years so I could learn how to help people stay healthy.”

Here’s my chance, I decided. I turned to leave, but tripped on the corner of a rug as I tried to retreat to the front door. Although I recovered quickly, the two heard my stumble. They turned and spotted me before I could hide.

“Oh!” Dr. Harvey exclaimed. “I’m sorry, but you shouldn’t be here. These check-ups are supposed to be private.”

“You’re right.” I replied. “Sorry to interrupt. I’ll get going.” I turned to leave.

“Not so fast!” George stopped me. “I’d like to hear a second opinion from this young lady.”

Oh no, he’s going to try to use me to justify not changing his habits. I sighed, but Harvey sighed louder, also in frustration.

“Very well… Taylor, what do you think George should do?”

“Follow your advice. You’re the doctor after all.” I replied without skipping a beat.

Harvey relaxed some. “Thanks, Taylor.” He turned to George. “You see, George. I’m just trying to help you.”

George was visibly disappointed that his scheme didn’t work. Unfortunately for him, I knew better than to ignore a doctor’s recommendation. “Fine. I’ll do what you say, doctor.”

Harvey finished up some paperwork with George while I slunk out of there and headed towards Pierre’s shop. Not long after, Harvey caught up to me, and we walked together.

“Hey, thanks for your help, Taylor. I appreciate it.”

“No problem, doctor.”

“Harvey. You can just call me Harvey.”

“Alright, I’ll see you around, Harvey.”

We shared a smile and went our separate ways: me to Pierre’s shop, and he to his clinic. I talked with Pierre about what next season’s seeds would be before taking off to fish at the beach until I got tired. Then I spent the evening using a scythe to cut down hay, thankfully a very low energy activity. Since Robin finished building the silo this morning, I took the opportunity to fill the silo, as it made gathering food for my chickens easier.


	26. Flower Dance

**Wednesday, Spring 24 Year 1:**

Yesterday I got a letter in the mail: a reminder about another town holiday.

_ Dear Taylor, _

_ Tomorrow we’re all getting together for the Flower Dance. _

_ If you can find a partner, you might even want to participate in the dance yourself! _

_ There’s a little clearing beyond the forest west of the town where we hold the dance. Arrive between 9 AM and 2 PM if you’re interested. _

_ ~ Mayor Lewis _

I considered skipping, as I didn’t think I was close enough to anyone in town to ask them to be a dance partner. I changed my mind not long before it started.

I opted for the cleanest and most formal-looking clothes I had available, and unfortunately I still felt underdressed compared to everyone else’s nicer outfits. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind; I think Sebastian may have been envious.

Even though I didn’t participate in the formal dance, I’m glad I went. I spent more of the time munching on the free food and occasionally mingling. I also watched the dance routine, and determined I could probably easily learn it if I decided to ask someone to dance next year.

From what I gathered from Maru, not a whole lot of the dancers are a huge fan of it, and they mostly do it for the old timers’ love for tradition. Her dad Demetrius mentioned that it had something to do with old fertility rituals. At first I thought he meant people’s reproductivity, but when he mentioned my supposed expertise, I realized he meant soil fertility. I’m glad I hadn’t said anything initially; that would’ve been an awkward conversation.

The flower dance began with a traditional dance first choreographed ages ago, before even Evelyn’s time. The women wore blue ballet-slipper shoes with elegant cream dresses with short cuffed puff sleeves and pleated skirts reaching a little past the knee. Each dress had a mint green sash around the waist. Each girl found a way to make their outfit a little more unique through hair accessories and jewelry. The men wore bright blue three-piece suits that matched the ladies’ shoes with a white button-up shirt, matching mint green belt and bowtie, and they accessorized with a boutonniere in the breast pocket of the blue suit (and in Elliott’s case, a small silver hoop earring in one ear).

The pairings went like this: Leah with Elliott, Maru with Harvey, Emily with Shane, Haley with Alex, Penny with Sam, and Abigail with Sebastian. Last year, according to Jodi, Leah’s dance partner was supposed to be Clint, but he had a minor accident with the blacksmith’s furnace that put him out of commission. According to a small handful of older members of the community, last year’s dance was saved by Elliott who, a couple weeks new to the area at the time, stepped in and quickly picked up on the dance steps to the town’s pleasant surprise. Since then, Clint seemed content to let Elliott take his place, but he seemed gloomy for a different reason today.

Haley was crowned the Flower Queen. Again. It’s her sixth year now, so no one else saw it as that impressive. Apparently it was more impressive when she was crowned queen her very first year when she was seventeen. Before the dance, Alex mentioned something about enjoying the scenery, but I’m beginning to suspect that he meant something else.

After the formal flower dance, some adult couples and even Jas and Vincent joined in for a more casual dance. Jas told me someday she would be the flower queen. Vincent whined and asked why he couldn’t be the flower queen. I didn’t know how to answer that question, so I didn’t. Either way, I think either of them would be a better flower queen than Haley someday.


	27. True Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leah’s 2 Heart Event

**Thursday, Spring 25 Year 1:**

I finally figured out why Leah likes driftwood so much.

I was surprised Leah managed to hear me knocking on her door over her pounding. I remembered her saying the other day that she was probably working on one of her sculptures in this scenario. Thankfully, she opened the door to her cottage.

“Oh, hi Taylor! Come in, come in.”

I followed in after her. “Thanks. Whatcha doing?”

Leah pointed with her hammer over to a lump of wood in the corner of the room and walked over to it. “I’m just working on this sculpture here. Come here. Watch this.”

I went over and stood next to her. Leah pounded some of the rough exterior bark off of a slab of wood. Under that layer, wood of one solid brown color was revealed. It reminded me of planks of wood used in building construction.

“See that?” I nodded as she pointed to the wood’s clean interior. “I’m revealing the essence of the wood. Once you get past the outer layers, the true nature starts to show…”

“It’s the same with people.” I realized aloud as I recalled the other night with Shane. Granted, I’ve been wrong about people’s interior before; it’s not always just one layer underneath the bark exterior as I once thought. Oh Yoba, I hope no one here is playing me like a joke. Stupid anxiety for making me think anyone here was. I brushed the thought aside.

“...What?” Leah took a moment to register what I had said. “Oh! Yeah, that’s absolutely right!”

While we both shared some appreciation for art, she had the better set of eyes for seeing it in the little things. When I visited art museums before, I disliked the modern art section for literally being a splatter on a canvas that a two-year-old could make. While art experts would look for the emotion the artist tried to convey, I’d wonder why the artist was lazy when van Gogh could convey similar emotions with a painting that required more talent and effort and looked significantly more interesting.

Leah also had greater talent in creating art, I could see that right away. I could barely do a decent picture without a frame of reference, and sculpting was out of the question for me. I appreciated that her time and effort were clearly shown in her works.

“So Leah, did you grow up here, or are you another implant?” I asked.

“I first visited this valley as a little girl, while on vacation with my parents. I knew I had to come back someday… This place has great artistic potential!”

I could see that in the diverse and beautiful scenery. I wondered if Leah and I may have met some time ago on one of my visits to Grandpa’s farm.

Leah looked a little disheartened. “Although, I have to admit… It’s not easy to pay the bills as an artist.”

Yeah, that there was another reason I couldn’t go into art. Even the most gifted struggle financially until they find a decent market willing to pay. Mediocre me would only profit from making art by enjoying it for myself. I admired Leah for being brave enough to try. She stood a chance, but first she needed a good market group. That gave me an idea.

“Why don’t you have an art show in town?”

Leah reflected on the thought. “Hmm… interesting. I guess that could set the wheels in motion to making Pelican Town a true art destination… But what if no one likes my sculptures? I’d be crushed.”

I gave a few seconds of silence to acknowledge her understandable concern. “Well, you have to start somewhere.” I finally said.

She nodded. “…I’ll have to think about it.” She resumed hammering at her sculpture. “Well, thanks for stopping by, Taylor.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.” I replied as I left to go about my day.


	28. Just Business

**Friday, Spring 26 Year 1:**

The weather forecast predicted rain tomorrow, so I used the opportunity to take in the old watering can, money, and some bronze bars to Clint so he can upgrade it. It should be ready by Sunday, he said.

Pierre’s birthday is today. Unsure of what to get him, I decided to spend the first part of my day mining. I found a topaz, an amethyst, and a whole crab from a rock crab I managed to slay but somehow stayed in one piece. I returned to the surface after reaching floor 25. At least I finally got the amethyst Abigail wanted. I swung by the General Store and gave it to her.

“I seriously love this! You’re the best, Taylor!”

“Thanks.” I realized that I had a dandelion that I picked earlier that day. “Hey Abigail, does your dad like dandelions?”

She nodded. “He likes to throw them in salads for dinner. I’m not a fan, personally. Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering what to get him for his birthday, and this seems to be the best thing I have.”

“Go for it.”

I went up to the counter and gave Pierre the dandelion. He grinned. “You remembered my birthday! Thank you, this is great!” He still primarily just talks business with me, but I think it's because he appreciates my business which happened to result from my own personal boycott of the JojaMart.

The rest of the day, I spent foraging, fishing, and picking up other items at the beach.


	29. Rainy Day

**Saturday, Spring 27 Year 1:**

Another rainy day. I spent most of it fishing, specifically for fish the junimos requested that I recalled only seeing the last rainy day. I hope I caught them all.

Abigail wandered over by the mountain lake as I left it. Sebastian wandered over to the docks at the beach today. For the most part, we just gave each other space and didn’t talk. Besides me, they seem to be the only ones here who like to stay out in the rain for extended periods of time. They both seem to like finding frogs in the weather too, which struck me as funny.

Emily’s birthday is today too. I made sure to stop by the Stardrop Saloon after fishing up as many fish as I could find. I got her the topaz I found yesterday, and she loved it.

“So how’s work?” I asked. “Do you like it?”

“Work’s good. It pays the bills. My real passion however is tailoring.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I made these clothes from scratch, see?”

She extended her arm so I could look at her sleeve. Sure enough, the hem of her sleeve was hand-stitched, and the red cloth was dyed locally, presumably by Emily herself. I could barely tell these features though. “I’m impressed. It looks really good. ”

Emily beamed. “Thank you. I like making my own clothes, but it’s not easy to get cloth. And it’s such a long trip to the city.”

Between longing for the city and loving clothes, I wonder if Haley realizes how much she and her sister have in common.


	30. Band Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam’s 2 Heart Event

**Sunday, Spring 28 Year 1:**

I harvested the rest of my spring crops and prepared a larger clearing of land for the summer. Now that I’ll have a larger starting fund as well as other seeds I got from Gunther as I put more items in the museum, I should be able to get a lot of crops growing, and hopefully a lot more income and quickly.

After receiving a copper watering can from Clint, I found a Joja Cola while fishing. It seemed intact and well-cooled at the bottom of the river, so I thought it would be funny to stop by Sam to give it to him. When I got to the house, I could hear some musical noise from out his bedroom window. Intrigued, I entered the house, followed the noise to his bedroom, opened the door, and slunk in.

Sam was on the guitar while his friend Sebastian played the synthesizer. They stopped soon after they saw me come in.

“Oh, hi Taylor!” Sam grinned. “Sebastian and I were just having a little jam session.”

“Neat.” I commented.

“Thanks. We’re trying to start a band, but we still don’t know what kind of music to make. There’s too many possibilities.”

From the look on Sebastian’s face, I think he had a slight preference that he was withholding. Then Sam’s face lit up with an idea.

“Say, Taylor… what kind of music do you like?”

“I listen to a little bit of everything, to be honest. My default favorite however is classic rock. That experimental noise you were working on earlier sounded promising.”

Sam smiled. “Hey, you know what? That’s exactly the kind of style I’ve been thinking about… for the band.”

Yeah, I could have guessed that from the music you were playing earlier, but okay. Sam eagerly turned to Sebastian.

“What do you say, Sebastian? Should we do this?”

Sebastian shrugged, but he seemed alright with the choice. “…Okay.” He replied.

“Great!” Sam turned back to me. “Thanks for the help, Taylor. With my guitar skills and Sebastian’s wizardry on the synthesizer, we’re gonna be a screaming success. I’m convinced of it!”

His excitement wound down when he realized something. “Now I just need to find someone to play drums…”

Count me out. I can barely carry a rhythm with two hands, let alone both feet as well. “Well, good luck with that. I’ll see you later.”

“See ya.”

As I left the room, the last thing I heard was Sebastian asking Sam, “Do you think Abigail plays?”

That evening, I resigned myself to sit on my front porch, enjoying the warmer air and watching the sun set as Bella the Cat let me scratch her head and ears. I got a phone call from my parents, congratulating me on the simple successes the farm as provided so far. We chatted for a while about Pelican Town and what I enjoyed about living here. They seemed to accept my decision to stick around for the rest of the year, and reminded me that if winter gets too rough, I’m welcome to return home, especially for the Feast of the Winter Star again.

Well, here’s to one good season, and hoping the next one turns out even better.


End file.
